The jury trial for Jeffrey Wade Chapman, originally scheduled for August, has been rescheduled for Jan. 27, 2014. Chapman, 31, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Damon Leslie Galyardt, who was killed Nov. 11, 2011.
At a pretrial hearing Monday, District Judge Ron Svaty granted a continuance for the trial, to allow the defense more time to prepare. Chapman is represented by a public defender from Reno County, but may also retain his own attorney. The trial is expected to last two weeks.
Chapman, from Pawnee Rock, has entered a plea of  “not guilty” to murdering Galyardt, whose body was found by hunters in rural Barton County on Nov. 12, 2011. Galyardt was 25 years old and died from a gunshot wound.